Raiders' Thompson garners national recognition

The numbers indicate that Southern Oregon University forward Eric Thompson took his game to a higher level in 2013-14.

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. — The numbers indicate that Southern Oregon University forward Eric Thompson took his game to a higher level in 2013-14. His national profile went the same direction.

Thompson became just the second Raider in program history to earn second-team NAIA All-American accolades when the national office released the teams on Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 Roseburg native, who recently completed his junior season, was given honorable mention upon the completion of his first two years at SOU.

Thompson averaged 20.3 points and 7.7 rebounds, shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 81.7 percent from the free-throw line and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. He set new career-highs and ranked in the NAIA's top 50 in each of those categories.

He scored 25-plus points on 10 occasions and a career-high 38 twice for the Raiders, who went 22-9 but missed advancing to the NAIA Championships by one spot in the rankings.

Thompson joined the company of Shea Washington, who in his three seasons at SOU went from the NAIA's second team, to the first team, to the 2005-06 national player of the year. Thompson should surpass Washington for the top spot on SOU's all-time scoring list early next season, needing 127 more points to match his mark of 1,920.

With 692 career rebounds, Thompson needs 117 more to crack the top-five in school history and is 317 short of the record established by Tony DiUlio in 1968.

Four other Cascade Conference players — all of them forwards — were honored: Concordia's Adam Herman (first team), Northwest's Michael Greene (third team), College of Idaho's Taylor Pruett (third team) and Northwest Christian's Spencer Coleman (honorable mention). Thompson is the only one of the bunch who still has a year of eligibility remaining.

Joe Mitchell of Friends (Kan.) was named the player of the year after averaging 32.3 points and 58-percent shooting.

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